POLICE are hunting the culprits after 18 smoke bombs, three fireworks and a flare were set off in the Celtic end at Friday's match which also saw 200 seats ripped up.

A flare is set off by Celtic fans during Friday night's 5-0 win over Motherwell

MORE than 200 seats were ripped up at Fir Park on a night of destruction that safety experts feared would end in tragedy.

Record Sport understands serious overcrowding took place at the Celtic end on Friday where 18 smoke bombs, three fireworks and a flare were set off.

Cops are now hunting the culprits while the flare trend is becoming so worrying that former SFA security chief David Brand last night said he fears someone will soon die at a Scottish stadium unless pyrotechnics are stamped out.

The smoke bombs, flares and ripped up seats are sure to be in match delegate Alan Dick’s report that will land on SPFL secretary Iain Blair’s desk this morning and it’s believed to pull no punches.

Indeed, it’s understood the disgraceful scenes at Motherwell as Celtic won 5-0 will be described by Dick as the worst he has ever witnessed at a Scottish ground.

And the police last night vowed to pore over CCTV images and hunt down the yobs who shamed Celtic.

Also, such are the potential ramifications, the future of Friday night football could be called into question by league bosses.

Former police officer Brand, meanwhile, insists the SFA will need to step in and take control of a worsening situation unless the SPFL gets tough with hooligans.

He said: “Flares are now being catapulted from the crowd.

“There was a case in South America recently when one of these things became embedded in a supporters’ head and he died from his injuries.

“My fear is that will happen here unless we take a zero tolerance approach to pyrotechnics.

“The SFA can’t interfere at the moment but they might have to unless the SPFL do more.”

Police Scotland have vowed to leave no stone unturned in the hunt for the culprits.

A spokesperson told Record Sport: “A full investigation is under way including viewing available CCTV to trace those responsible for the disorder on Friday night.

“Every possible avenue will be looked at in order to trace those individuals.”

Identifying the ringleaders will be difficult because dangerous overcrowding was created by the troublemakers not sitting in the seats they’d paid for in order to help them avoid detection.

And the movement of a large group of fans into the area behind the goal in the South Stand created the crushing problem that had official observers fearing the worst.

The relationship between alcohol and what went on in Fir Park’s South Stand is also being probed at the same time as Celtic launch their own investigation into their fans’ misconduct.

Last year the Celtic support were heavily criticised for causing trouble at Dens Park on Boxing Day with the SPFL delegate later recommending that similar games over the festive period involving the Parkhead club have afternoon kick-offs.

Celtic are already facing a bill for £10,000 for structural damage at Fir Park from the latest incident and the likelihood is the club will be heavily fined by the SPFL Board for their fans’ antics once Dick’s report has been digested.